This invention relates to dispensing containers. In particular, it relates to dispensing containers which may be of use for dispensing cosmetic stick products, such as antiperspirant or deodorant sticks.
Cosmetic stick containers for such products are known, and typically consist of a barrel in which the stick composition may be contained, which is typically made from a plastics material. The barrel may have a variety of cross-sectional shapes, but most popular are circular and ellipsoidal. The container will typically have a detachable cap to protect the contents from the undesirable effects of prolonged exposure to air, and an elevation mechanism by which the contents of the container are elevated towards the open top end of the pack, in order that a portion of the stick may protrude from the top of the container to facilitate use.
Whilst most containers have a generally flat opening when seen from the side, it is also known for cosmetic containers to have a convex profile. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,496 describes a cosmetic stick package which is generally ellipsoidal in cross-sectional shape, and has an outwardly arched profile when viewed along the minor axes of the ellipsoid. Such a profile is said to facilitate in providing increased comfort of these stick products during application, and is also said to provide extra support for the stick so as to prevent crumbling on application.
A further teaching of this patent is directed towards a relatively wide applicator surface, which extends around the entire periphery of the opening of the pack, and is said to facilitate application of the cosmetic stick product. In particular, the provision of the relatively wide applicator surface is said to prevent pinching of a user""s skin, which alleged to happen and be uncomfortable for the user should the package have a relatively narrow, sharp edge adjacent the top opening, and the stick be used down to the point where the opening of the container may protrude, beyond the application surface of the stick, thereby allowing the package to make contact with the user""s skin in use.
(Societe Fermiere Pinaud) describes a cosmetic container for a hair dressing product which has a cross section which is generally rectangular, and which has an opening on top of the container which is generally concave when viewed from the side. The stick hair dressing product also has a concave surface; the combined shape of the top of the package and the top of the stick is said to facilitate application of the dressing to head hair.
It is an object of the invention to provide a dispensing stick package which prevents the user from catching his or herself on the edges of the pack during application, thereby improving comfort of the package during use.
Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a package for a cosmetic stick comprising a barrel having a generally open end and a generally closed end, a central longitudinal axis which runs between the generally open end and the generally closed end of the barrel, a piston slidably located within the barrel for advancing product contained within the barrel towards the generally open end, the package having a cross-section perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis which is ellipsoidal, the generally open end of the package ending in an opening through which product contained in the dispenser can be dispensed, characterised in that the opening, when viewed in the direction of the minor axes of the ellipsoidal cross-section, is concave.
Dispensing packages according to the invention have been found to be particularly suitable for antiperspirant and deodorant sticks, since by virtue of having a concave side profile, this has been found to reduce or eliminate problems associated with the scraping of sharp sides of the dispensing package against the skin, since the package is cut away in this particular area, and hence there is no part of the pack side wall to abrade against skin, and a reduced chance of abrasion occurring.
However, whilst providing a cut away portion (by virtue of the concave profile of the pack) which prevents contact of the package against the skin in use, the profile of the package means that the ends of the pack generally rise up relative to the sides, and provide support to the stick contained therein. This extra support may be useful to prevent crumbling or general disintegration of the cosmetic stick contained therein.
In a preferred embodiment, the dispensing package is of the type where stick product contained in the package is advanced by a screw feed mechanism, being mounted on a piston head having a central channel, which is conveniently mounted on a central spindle located coaxially with the central longitudinal axis of the package. Typically, the spindle is rotationally secured to the package. Conveniently, the piston may be caused to elevate and retract within the package by means of co-operating screw threads located on the central spindle and the central channel on the piston head, and may be operated by means of a thumbwheel located at one end of the central spindle, typically adjacent the bottom of the package. The Thumbwheel can be of any appropriate dimensions, as long as it serves to allow the user to elevate the piston on which the cosmetic stick is mounted.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a packaged cosmetic stick product comprising a cosmetic stick product packaged in a dispensing package as described above. Preferably, the cosmetic stick product is an antiperspirant or deodorant stick product.
In a highly preferred embodiment, the dispensing package may have, adjacent its widest parts, (ie towards the ends), areas adjacent the dispensing package opening in which the walls of the package are generally more rounded, and are typically wider and/or thicker than the sides (i.e. adjacent the ends of the minor axes of the ellipsoidal cross section) of the container barrel.
Such parts of the container opening may be generally more rounded or have a larger radius of curvature than those parts of the container opening which are adjacent the minor axes of the ellipsoidal cross section container (ie the sides), or may generally be thicker. In any event, such parts of the container are dimensioned and profiled such that in the event of contact between these parts of the container and a user""s skin, the container does not scrape the skin, or provide a sensation of scraping.
Such generally more rounded portions need not actually be used as an aid to applying and rubbing in the cosmetic product applied, or reduce drag on application, as described in EP 355,156 discussed above.
Such additionally rounded portions of the container, when utilized, extend not around the entire periphery of the container opening, but are confined to the ends of the container, i.e. the widest spaced parts of the ellipsoidal cross section containers. Conveniently, the additionally rounded or thicker or wider parts of the container opening are confined to no more than one third of the dimensions of the major axis of the ellipsoidal cross section container, measured from each end of the container, and extending along the sides of the container. Hence the wall of the container adjacent the ends of the minor axes of the elliptical container is preferably of traditional thin wall construction for at least one third of the width of the container (the width being the length of the major axes of the ellipsoidal cross section container), on each side of the container.
Packages according to the invention have been found to have excellent properties with regard to comfort on application of the cosmetic stick. In particular, since antiperspirant and deodorant stick products are typically applied in a sweeping motion, sweeping the broadest width of the stick across the axilla, the absence of a high sided wall on the package, by virtue of the concave profile, reduces incidences of catching of the stick package against the skin, thereby causing unpleasant abrasion. Further, in embodiments where the widely spaced ends of the package are generally more rounded or thicker than the package side wall, this has been found to further improve comfort on application, and minimise abrasion for the user.
Packages according to the invention have also been found to have further advantages. In particular, cosmetic stick products (especially antiperspirant and deodorant stick products) have been found to be easier to apply in packages according to the invention compared to other known dispensing packages, since the concave profile of the package means that in practice a user is able to hold the product a greater variety of angles relative to the skin surface to which the product is being applied, and apply it without sensing abrasion, compared to a conventional stick package. Such an advantage facilitates product application.
A further advantage of dispensing packages according to the invention is that, as the contents of the package are about to run out, the user may be provided with a visual signal that this is about to happen, by virtue of the piston on which the cosmetic stick is mounted becoming visible at the dipping sides of the package. This effect may be further accentuated by for example making the piston visually distinctive by being for example either coloured or patterned, or convex when viewed from the side, or a combination of the two.
Further, since in use antiperspirant or deodorant sticks tend to naturally adapt a convex profile after several applications, the use of a convex topped piston may maximise the amount of product which can actually be used by the user before the product is fully used.